I have always used a professional to prepare my taxes but wanted to take a more hands on approach this year. Was slightly intimidated at first, especially because of all the new tax laws. But no need to feel that way! The program walked me through every step. It looks as if my professional did my taxes. Very pleased!
Filing my 2018 taxes with H&R Block Premium was a breeze as usual. However, there was a minor irritation that bugged this year with the software. With my investments, sometimes I write covered calls, which is reported like a short transactions. I prior versions of this software, when I reported a short transaction from my 1099-B, the software would confirm a short transaction was entered. This year there was no such confirmation. So, I had to make sure the software was reporting the transaction correctly. This was just a minor irritation that I hope they fix for next year. Other than that, the software still makes filing taxes easy.
Pros: Easy to prepare, Maximizes refund, Easy to import documents, Fast
In general I like this product but it missed the 20% deduction on self-employed pass-through income. At some point it suggested looking at some form, but it didn't fill it out or flag it properly, even though we were filling in a schedule C for business income and the rental property schedule. I have a PhD and my wife is a lawyer who does high stakes financial work. If we hadn't known about this law, in detail, HRBlock would have had us pay many thousands of dollars extra in taxes. Otherwise the product is fine. What a huge mistake by HRBlock with the new law!